Signaling system.



C. STEPHENS.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLIUATION ULEB 106.31, moa.

Llgg Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

4 SHEETS--SHEET 1.

'S2/mi im 4 ma A No: nu ll,

C. STEPHENS.

SIGNALING SYSTEM. APPLIQATIOH FILED Anaal, 1909 1,105,860. Patented Aug. 4, 1914i.

4 SHEB'l'Sl-SHEET 2.

C. STEPHENS.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLloA'rLoN FILED AUG. 31, 1901 A ,fav

51H01. um!

C. STEPHENS.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. s1, 1909.

1,105,860, Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

4 SHEETS-"SHEET 4y @W @wf mmm,

@n vente llltllE STATES PATENT llllldl.

CHARLES STEPHENS, F BARTON HEIGHTS, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNO. .'BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO A. H.. CALLIGAN, 0F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

SIGNALING SKSTEIVI.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug, 4l, 19111.

Application filed August 31, 1909. Serial No. 515,431.

T0 all 'whom it may; concern Bel it known that l, CHARLES STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at 4Barton Heights, in the county of Henrico and State ot' Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specifica tion.

The invention relates to an improvement in signaling systems primarily adapted for the automatic control of block signals under the influence of moving trains.

The main object ot the present invention is the provision of a signaling system particularly designed -for use on single track railways in which home and distant or danger and caution signals are arranged, the system prmiding for the automatic. operation ot intervening distant or caution sig nais to set the same at caution positiontwo blocks or signals iu advance of the operating train, the system also providing for setting both the home and distant signals to danger positions when two trains'are on the same track with a clear bloc-k between them. By this arrangement of the circuits and signals an operating train will set the second caution signalr in advance of said train to caution position, while the presence ot' two trains in the terminal blocks of any three blocks will set both intervening danger signals to danger position, so that except thri'rugh a disregard of signals it is impossilole for two trains to approach closer to each other than the terminals of a single block.

The invention will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures l and la represent a diagrammatic view, illustrating 'the various circuits of the system. Fig. 2 is an enlarged' diagrammatic View, showing the track circuits. Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic yiew, rep` -enting the signal circuits.

The present invention is particularly dirccted to a system ot electrical control for signal machines and in this connection it is tolle understood that any commercial type of signaling machine may be used and that no particular machine is contemplated.

In carrying out the details of the present invention it will he understood that the circuits of each clock are identicalv with the circuits of every other block and hence a detailed description oi one. will sullicc for all` .in the instance shown the track is divided into a series ot blocks 1, 2, 3, and -l-, the rails ot' which a rc in insulated hlock sectionsand between each of which blocks are arranged signal stations A, B, C, and D, cach including danger and caution signals 5 and (i respectively'. A common return service wire 7 is used for all blocks and in the tot lowing description will he hereinafter rc- Aferrcd to as the common wire.

The circuits peculiar to cach block include a track energizing circuit in which a hatt-ery S or other source oi energy is connected hy conductors i) and l() to the respee tive rails, this truck circuit` including an electro-magnet 1l connected hy conductors l2 and 13 to the rails so that the electroinagnet is normally energized so long` as there is no short cil-culling of the source of energy hy bridging the rails. 'A controlling relay Ll is arranged in cach hlock circuit, said relay having a conductor l5 leading to the common wire and a second conductor lf3 which leads to a block in advance, as will presently appear. Each hlock also includes a primary signal relay 17 having a con ductor connected to the common wire and a second conductor li) which leads to a hlock in rear of the particular hlock, as will presently appear. A secondary signal relay 2O also arranged in each block, having a conductor 21 leading to the common wire and a conductor 22 leading to a block in ad- It is, of course, to he understood that the various relays are arranged in a suitable group at the ends of the respective blocks, and as shown in the drawings each group will contain a )ortion of the relays of the two adjacent locks, that is each group will contain the track relay and primary signal relay of one block und the controlling relay and secondary signal relay of the adjacent hlock in advance. In each group is arranged a circuit controlling the danger signal 5. which circuit includes a conductor 23 leading from the danger signal mechanism to an armature 24 arranged t'o he influenced hy the controlling magnet lll in said group, a contact )oint 25 engaged hy the armature 24 when the controlling magnet is energized, a conductor 26 leading from the contact point, a conductor 27 fleading toand through a source of energy,

a battery 28, a conducteur 29 leading to and through an armature bO controlled by controlling relay 14. F or the purposes of the propel' control of the danger signal, as

will presently appear, the main danger signal circuit ljust described mustbe rovided with an auxiliary or vsecondary pat in order to require more than the operation of the controlling and track relays to set said signal. For this purpose a conductor 32 is connected to the conductor 23 adjacent the danger signal apparatus, leading to an armature 33 controlled by the primary signal relay 17, the auxiliary danger signal circuit also including a conductor 36,l having -a contact point to be engaged by the armature 33 and leading to andlconnected with the conductor 27 of the main danger signal circuit. arrangement of danger signal circuits that theenergy of the battery 28 may be directed to the danger signal controlling mechanism by either one of two paths, and that, therefore; the automatic breaking of the circuit of deither path Will not permit Ithe signal to goto the danger position.

Thecautionsignal of each casing is also independently controlled, said controlling 'circuit including a conductor 37 leading from the caution signal controlling appa- Vratus to and throng an amature 38 `con trolled by theV secondary signal relayA of the particular casing, to and'through a conductor '39 leading to an, armature 40 controlled by the'primaryrelay signal- 17 of the cas- Y ing, to and through a conductor 41 terminating 1n al, oint to be engaged by the arma-v 'ture 40 iv en the primary signal relay is en"- ergized, and connected4 atthe opposite end to thel conductor 27 leading to the battery 28, Ait being understood that the return to' the caution signal operating mechanism is by means cfa conductor 42, leadmo' from l I the conductor 31 previously describedi The conductor 31 is extended beyond the signal operating mechanisms in the form of a conductor 43, which leads to and terminates in a point 44 designed to be engaged by an ar- .mature 45 controlled bythe secondary signal relaythe armature being in circuit with a conductor 46 leading to and through an armature 47 operated by the controlling relay and to and through a conductor 48 connected to the conductor 29 between the batte`ry-28 and the armature B0. l

From the'abovc description it will be evi-y dent that' in order to'set the caution signal It will be apparent from the abovel either the primary or ysecondary signal relay must be denerglzed, as upon the `denergiu zation of either one the current can flor! through thearmature controlled by the other and maintain the signal set at clear.

As the signal circuits are thus each. pro vided with main and auxiliary operating circuits separately controlled by different re lays it is only necessary to provide for the denergiza'tion of these relays in a particun lar manne-r in order to el'ect such operation of the respective signal circuits as may be desired. his object is gained by errang ing one conductor of each of the relays of a group so that it may be controlled in a remote block, and this provision of circuits l shall now describe.

' Assuming as a basis for the descript'n in aA particular signal set that for estax including signals C, it will beseen that A conductor 16 leading from the controlling relay 14 is extended to the bloclrin advance by a continuousconductor 59 which leads to and through a conductor G0 terminating in an armature 49l controlled by the traclr relay `vanced block 2, that is the conductor l53 from one block to the other is simply' a continuation of the conductor 19 leading from the primary signal relay, as previously described.,

The conductor 22leading from the seconda-ry signal relayk of signal C is,"by a `continued conductor 54, carried to and through an armature 55 overned by the controlling relay 14 at station B, thence by a conductor 56 througha source of energy, as a battery 57, to and through a conductor 58 to the common Wire.

. Assuming a tra-in in bloclrr, the opera, ration incident to lt-he travel gfsuch trainY is as follows: Thebattery: Sncf-the block is short circuitedv'and-'the relay 11 thereof -denergizeds The 'armatures 30 and, 49 are releasedf'g'Asthe karmature 3U controls simply one path of the circuit leading to thelsignalsAftlieSe signals are not affected bysuch brcakLUThe break at the armature 49,however, disrupts the conductor 59 lead f ing to the controlling relay'14 atstationli.

The 4denergi'zation of thisl controlling' redit ' l1 of the block 3, the armature 49 being deice iis

lac

"only of the signal circuits and hence the signals of block 3 are not affected. The release offarmatnre 55, however, breaks the 'continuity of conductor 54, which controls the secondary signal relay 2O at station C. The denergization of the secondary relay 20 of block 4 releases the armatures 38 and 45. The dropping of the armature 38, opens the caution signal circuit, and the caution signal at station C is set in caution position. Therefore, the presence of a train in block 2 sets the caution signal at station (l. lhe dropping of armature 45 breaks at 1l-1l, the current path leading from the battery 223 through conductor 48, armature 47, armatu/re and conductor 43 to conductors 42 fand 3l; but as this break is in only one of the two paths leading fromA battery 28 to conductor 3l, the danger signal is left in normal safety position. The conductor t2 is, for convenience, connected to the Wires 3l and 413 leading to one side of the battery, and the breaking of one of these paths has no additional effect on the caution signal circuit, which has already been broken by the dropping of armature 38. If, however, while the first or controlling train is in block 2 a second train should enter block 4i, said latter train would affect the circuits in the following manner. The denergization of the track relay at station C would release the armatures 3() and 49. The presence of a train in block Ll by dropping .the armature 30 cuts the only remaining lpath to the danger signal C, hence said danger signal is set inv danger position. The denergization ot' the track relay 11 at station C by dropping the armature 4:9 also dcnergizes the primary signal relay 17 at lstation B. Denergization of the primary signal relay at station B drops the arma tures 33 and 40, and as the train in block 2 is holding the controlling relay 14 at station B broken, the armatures Q4 and 47 of the signal circuits are, of course, dropped. The signal circuits are, therefore, broken at the armatures Q4 and 47 by the train in block 2 and the armatures 33 and Ai() by the train in block it. The circuits of signal B are thus completely broken and the danger signal at station B goes to danger. Therefore, the presence of a train in block 2 and the presence of a second train in block el. Will set ythe two intervening signals at danger.

l. ln a block signal system, a trackway divided into a series of blocks, signal meehanisins at the meeting ends of the blocks, each said mechanism including a translating device and a normally closed circuit holding said translating device normally energized and its signal at clear, and means controlled y by the presence of trains in any two blocks separated by one intervening block to break the circuits corresponding to the signiils at the ends ot the intervening block.

ln a block signal'system, a tracltway divided into a series o`t` blocks, a signal at the meeting ends oi each two blocks, clased signal-operating circuits cach maintai ing its signal at clear, each circuit being jointly controlled by the presence or the absence oi trains in one of two adjoining blocks and in a tlierclo non-mljoining block on the opposite side oi the meeting end, and also jointly controlled by the presence or the absence of trains in the other of said adjoining blocks and in a thereto non-adjoining block on the opposite side of said meeting end. i

3. ln a block signal system, a trackway divided into a series oi' blocks, a signal at the meeting ends ol each two blocks, closed signal-operating circuits each maintainingr its signal at clear, each circuit being jointly controlled by the presence or the absence of trains in one ol two adjoining blocks and in a thereto non'adjoining block on the opposite side of the meeting end, and also jointly controlled by the presence or the absence oi trains in the other of said adjoining blocks and in a thereto non-adjoin ing block on lthe opposite side of said meet ing end, said circuit being further jointly controlled by the presence or absence ot tains in both oi. said adjoining blocks.

4. In a block signal system, a trackway divided into a series of blocks, a signal located at the meeting ends of each two blocks. a normally closed signal operating circuit maintaining each signal al'` clear, said circuit comprising a battcrv, and a motor, each side of the battery connected to the motor by two current paths in parallel, a contact in each of the four current paths, an electro magnet for controlling each contact, the electromagnets for any given signal being controlled by the presence or absence ot trains in the blocks as follows. viz. the two magnets on one side ot the circuit controlled respectively from one o't` the blocks at the right ot` the signal and a thereto non-adjacent block adjoining the block on the left oi' the signal, and the two magnets on the other side of the motor circuit controlled respectively from the block at the left side of the signal, and a thereto non-adjacent block adjoining the block at the right of the signal, whereby danger signals are sot at the ends .of each block intervening between two occupied blocks adjacent said intervening block, irrespective ot the direction of travel.

5. In a block signal system, a trackway' divided into a series of blocks, home and distant signals and operating mechanism there- .i

for at the meeting ends of cach two adj oining blocks, closed signal operating circuits maintaining each of said signals at clear, -the home signal operating circuit being jointly controlled by the presence or-the abA sence of trains in one of the two adjoining blocks and in a thereto non-adjacent block adjoining the block at the opposite side of the meeting end, and also jo'intly controlled by the presence or the/absence of trains in the other of said adjoining blocks and in a thereto non-adjacent block adjoining the iirst mentioned block, the distant signal operating circuit being controlled by the presence or the absence of 'trains in either of the blocks next the tWo adjoining blocks.

6. In a block signal system, a trackway `diyided.into a series voff blocks, aseries of lsignal stations, 'one at the meeting ends of each two blocks, each stationi having thereat ya signal, operating mechanism therefor, a"

closed signal operating' circuity includinga battery, each side of the batterybeing con nected to the signal operating mechanism by two parallel branches, andl'means, for controlling the circuits conip'rising'four relays j'at eachjstatio'n, viz. altrackrelay at a block-end adjacent the station and controlling one of the parallel branches of the signa.l|,operating circuit and also the con trolling relay at the. station to the right (2) a primary relay controlling another of the parallel branches of' the signal operating circuit and controlled lfrom the track relay at the station to the right,` (3) a controlling relay controlled from the track relay at the stationjto the left and itself controlling a third one of the parallel branches of the signal operating circuit and the operating circuit of the secondary relay at the stationtof the right, and (4) a 40 ,sevopnd'ary relayl' controlled from the co trolling relay attlie station to the incasso left' and controlling the fourth parallel branch of thesignal operating circuit.-

7. ln a track signal system, a traclrwajf dividedninto a series ofi/blocks, a series of signal stations, one at tliefmeeting ends of each two blocks, each station having thereat home and distant'signals, loperating mecha-- nisrn therefor, closed signal operating circuits including. a battery 'for maintaining said signals at clear, 'the home signal operatconnecting each side of the battery to the home signal operating mechanism and means for controlling the 'circgiits comprising four relays at each station, aziz: a 'track relay i` at a bloclrend adjacenithe station and con trolling one of the parallel `branches of the home signal operatingl'eircuit and also the Wcontrolling relay at the station to the right, (2) a primary a relay controlling another of 'the parallel branches of the home right, (3) a controlling relay, controlled from the track relay at the station to the left and itself controlling a third one of the l W'M. El CRAWFORD.

signal operating circuit and also the distantA signal operating circuit and itself controlled from the. track relay at the station to the parallel branches ofthe home sigiial'oper ing circuit comprising tyvdparallel branches 

